Psalm 98
by Pastor David Groendyk
My personal philosophy is that it’s never too early to talk about Christmas. Whether it’s putting up the Christmas tree or singing Christmas hymns, I could celebrate the holiday all year round. I’m sure that will stir up some controversy in both the church and the world. Of course, now that it’s December, even the strictest of holiday postponers can’t help but face the facts. Let’s talk about Christmas. Isaac Watts based his well-known hymn Joy to the World on Psalm 98. Hopefully, as you work your way through this psalm, you’ll see the connections; and hopefully knowing the hymn will help bring this psalm to life.
God has worked a great miracle of salvation for his people, and the whole earth has seen it (vv. 1–3). Primarily, the Israelites would be looking back at their great redemption out of Egypt, the miraculous ten plagues, and crossing the sea on dry ground. This salvation was so great that foreign nations did hear about it. When Rahab hid the two spies in Jericho, she told them how their city was terrified of the Lord who dried up the Red Sea (Josh. 2:9–11). King Balak of Moab heard how Israel defeated various kings in battle in the wilderness and was in utter dread of them and hired Balaam to curse them (Num. 22:2–6). Primarily for Christians, we look back upon Jesus. His death and resurrection were the ultimate miraculous deliverance witnessed and heard about by the whole world. God’s power and love should lead his people to sing. Indeed, we are commanded to sing! Singing is the proper response of joy and worship for our God’s deliverance. And every time you experience afresh God’s grace to you, break forth in song.
The entire earth is commanded to join in the celebration (vv. 4–6). God is not just the King of his people; he’s the king of all people. The cross is not something merely for God’s people to glory in, but it’s a light for the rest of the world. If we’re not inviting others to join in the worship and experience God’s salvation in Christ, then we’re missing something about God’s deliverance. God desires the whole of humanity to praise him. His glory is so great that he deserves the whole earth’s praise and more.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing.
Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns: let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy.
More than just the people of the earth singing his praise, God commands even the Creation itself to clap their hands and sing for joy (vv. 7–9). God has an interest not just in people but in nature itself. Remember, he made the earth, trees, rocks, skies, and seas for his glory as well. And nature itself has been cursed by the fall and groans while waiting for its own redemption (Gen. 3:17–19; Rom. 8:19–22). Creation itself looks forward to the coming of the King. Our King has come once, which was to accomplish salvation. But he’s coming again to judge and to fully bring under his reign all peoples and to redeem the heavens and the earth. Psalm 98 should not just cause us to look back and praise God for the cross of Christ but also cause us to look forward to the day when sin and death and the curse will be no more. Even as we spend this next month praising Christ for his first coming, let us long for his second coming as well.
No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love.